What is the Reconstruction Constitution of 1869 influence the present day Texas Constitution quizlet?

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Discuss the constitutions of Texas
• Describe the current constitution of Texas

Constitutions of Texas

Texas has been governed by multiple constitutions.

• The Mexican Constitution of 1824
  
  
  • Texas was part of Mexico
  • Called for an official religion (Catholicism)
  
  
  
• The Constitution of Coahuila and Texas, 1827
  
  
  • First state constitutions under Mexican rule
  
  
  
• The Texas Constitution of 1836
  
  
  • Texas gains their independence, becomes their own country (Republic of Texas)
  
  
  
• The Texas Constitution of 1845
  
  
  • US Annexation of Texas
  • Texas is pre-approved to split up in to as much as 5 states
  
  
  
• The Texas Constitution of 1861
  
  
  • Texas secedes from the Union and joins the Confederate States of America
  
  
  
• The Texas Constitution of 1866
  
  
  • Adopted as a condition for readmission to the United States of America
  
  
  
• The Texas Constitution of 1869
  
  
  • State constitution rewritten to abide by Reconstruction policies
  • Created a powerful Texas Governor
  
  
  
• The Texas Constitution of 1876
  
  
  • current state constitution
  
  
  

Texas Constitution of 1876

Texas Democrats gained control of Congress in 1873 and decided it was time to draft a new constitution for Texas. The Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875 met in Austin with the purpose of replacing the Constitution of 1869- it was believed that the new constitution should restrict the state government and hand the power back to the people. Some examples of how the government was restricted were[3]:

• Legislative sessions moved from annual to biennial sessions
• Creation of a plural executive
• Mandated a balanced budget
• State Judges would be elected by the people
• The people would vote on the ratification of amendments

The structure of the current constitution of Texas (Constitution of 1876) is a Preamble, 17 Articles, and 491 Amendments (Since 2015)[4]. The Texas Constitution does not contain a "necessary and proper clause" like the U.S. Constitution, therefore making it the second longest state constitution in America (2nd only to Alabama's).

• Article 1: Bill of Rights
  
  
  • Similar civil liberties and civil rights as in the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights
  
  
  
• Article 2: The Powers of the Government
  
  
  • Establishes three branches of government with separation of powers
  
  
  
• Article 3: Legislative Department
  
  
  • Specifics about the Texas Legislator
  
  
  
• Article 4: Executive Department
  
  
  • Specifics about the plural executive
  
  
  
• Article 5: Judicial Department
  
  
  • Specifics about the Texas Judicial system
  
  
  
• Article 6: Suffrage
  
  
  • Forbids the following from voting:
    
    
    • any non US citizen
    • any non-registered Texas voter
    • any convicted felon who has not completed their sentence
    • any person deemed mentally incompetent by the courts
    
    
    
  
  
  
• Article 7: Education
  
  
  • Mandates an "efficient" free public school system
  • Established the Permanent School Fund
  
  
  
• Article 8: Taxation and Revenue
  
  
  • Places limits on the raising and spending of public funds
  
  
  
• Article 9: Counties
  
  
  • Authorizes the Texas Legislature to create county governments
  
  
  
• Article 10: Railroads
  
  
  • Regulated the railroad system
  
  
  
• Article 11: Municipal Corporations
  
  
  • Specifics regarding local governments, including empowering them to tax, and how to charter cities
  
  
  
• Article 12: Private Corporations
  
  
  • Specifics regarding private businesses, including how they would be regulated
  
  
  
• Article 13: Spanish and Mexican Land Titles
  
  
  • Specifics on what which land with previous claims would become state property
  
  
  
• Article 14: Public Lands and Land Office
  
  
  • Established the Land Office which regulated land titles
  
  
  
• Article 15: Impeachment
  
  
  • Specifics on how to remove a public official from office
  
  
  
• Article 16: General Provisions
  
  
  • Miscellaneous regulations i.e. forbid Congress from printing money, forbid U.S. public officials from holding a state office
  
  
  
• Article 17: Mode of Amending the Constitution of this State
  
  
  • 2/3rds proposal from Congress
  • Registered voters vote on approval, and with a majority vote the amendment is ratified
  
  
  

The entire Texas Constitution can be accessed at http://www.constitution.legis.state.tx.us/ 

Licenses and Attributions

CC licensed content, Original

• Constitutions of Texas. Authored by: Daniel M. Regalado. License: CC BY: Attribution

What is the 1869 Reconstruction constitution?

Why did Texans replace the Constitution of 1869 with the Constitution of 1876?

What did the radical Reconstruction Constitution of 1869 provide?

What is the Texas Constitution influenced by?